Download Ancient America - Tewksbury Schools

Unit Overview
Content Area: Social Studies
Unit Title: Ancient Americas
Unit: 8
Target Course/Grade Level: Fifth Grade
Timeline: 2-3 weeks
Unit Summary
This unit will explore the civilizations that existed in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans.
Students will firstly investigate the geography of Central and South America and its relationships to the
empires of the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans. Students will identify important aspects of the Incan
government, daily life, lasting achievements, and how they managed their extensive empire. Next, students
will collect information about the Mayan culture, focusing on their religion, agricultural achievements, and
eventual decline. Finally, students will explore the founding of the Aztec empire, including their
adaptation to their local geography. Lastly, students will investigate Aztec religion, learning, and social
hierarchy. Students will appraise the Spanish conquistadors invasion of the Aztec empire.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Language Arts, 21st Century Life and Careers, Science, and
Technology
21st century themes and skills: Critical thinking, collaborative group problem solving, and effective
communication skills.
Unit Rationale
This unit investigates three of the major pre-Columbian civilizations that dominated Central and South
America. This unit not only gives students vital background information for learning about the Age of
Exploration and the Columbian Exchange, but gives students the opportunity to see just how sophisticated
and refined these civilizations really were. Since these civilizations were developed closer to the Age of
Exploration, students may see them as relatively uncivilized compared to the sophistication of the
European explorers- some of them whom conquered the Aztec empire. In many cases, however, these
ancient cultures were highly intelligent and refined in areas that the Europeans were not. Consequently, it
is important for students to understand and appreciate the complexities of these ancient civilizations.
Learning Targets
Standards
6.2 World History/Global Studies: All students will acquire the knowledge and skills to think analytically
and systematically about how past interactions of people, cultures, and the environment affect issues
across time and cultures. Such knowledge and skills enable students to make informed decisions as
socially and ethically responsible world citizens in the 21st century.
9.1 21st-Century Life & Career Skills: All students will demonstrate the creative, critical thinking,
collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to function successfully as both global citizens and
workers in diverse ethnic and organizational cultures.
Content Statements
The emergence of empires (i.e., Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas) resulted from the promotion of
interregional trade, cultural exchanges, new technologies, urbanization, and centralized political
organization.
The rise and spread of new belief systems unified societies, but they also became a major source of tension
and conflict.
While commercial and agricultural improvements created new wealth and opportunities for the empires,
most people’s daily lives remained unchanged.
The ability to recognize a problem and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve the
problem is a lifelong skill that develops over time.
Collaboration and teamwork enable individuals or groups to achieve common goals with greater
efficiency.
Leadership abilities develop over time through participation in groups and/or teams that are engaged in
challenging or competitive activities.
CPI #
Cumulative Progress Indicator (CPI)
6.2.8.A.4.a
Analyze the role of religion and other means rulers used to unify and centrally govern
expanding territories with diverse populations.
6.2.8.B.4.a
Explain how geography influenced the development of the political, economic, and
cultural centers of each empire and well as the empires’ relationships with other parts of
the world.
6.2.8.B.4.b
Assess how maritime and overland trade routes (i.e., the African caravan and Silk Road)
impacted urbanization, transportation, communication, and the development of
international trade centers.
6.2.8.B.4.e
Analyze the motivations for civilizations to modify the environment, determine the
positive and negative consequences of environmental changes made during this time
period, and relate these changes to current environmental challenges.
6.2.8.B.4.h
Explain how the locations, land forms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and
South America affected the development of Mayan, Aztec, and Incan societies, cultures,
and economies.
6.2.8.C.4.a
Explain the interrelationships among improved agricultural production, population
growth, urbanization, and commercialization.
6.2.8.C.4.b
Analyze how trade, technology, the availability of natural resources, and contact with
other civilizations affected the development of empires in Eurasia and the Americas.
6.2.8.D.4.a
Explain how contact between nomadic peoples and sedentary populations had both
positive and negative political, economic, and cultural consequences.
6.2.8.D.4.b
Analyze how religion both unified and divided people.
6.2.8.D.4.c
Analyze the role of religion and economics in shaping each empire’s social hierarchy,
and evaluate the impact these hierarchical structures had on the lives of various groups
of people.
6.2.8.D.4.j
Compare the major technological innovations and cultural contributions of the
civilizations of this period and justify which represent enduring legacies.
9.1.8.A.1
Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors that impact
critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
9.1.8.C.2
Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for
carrying out different tasks, assignments, and projects.
9.1.8.C.3
Model leadership skills during classroom and extra-curricular activities.
Unit Essential Questions
Unit Enduring Understandings
 How did physical geography affect the
 The varied geography and climate of the
development and growth of this society and other
Americas produced a diversity of Native
societies around the world?
American peoples and culture.
 How did this society’s belief system affect its
historical accomplishments?
 What were the beliefs and values of people in this
society?
 What types of governments were formed in this
society and how did they develop?
 How did this society develop and organize its
economic activities?
 The Incas ruled a large, highly organized
mountain empire in South America. Their
accomplishments included long-lasting stone
structures.
 Mayan civilization was based on farming, which
supported cities throughout the Yucatan
Peninsula.
 The Aztecs used conquest to rule a rich and
powerful empire of diverse peoples in Middle
America.
 The Incas, Aztecs, and Mayas were sophisticated
civilizations whose mysteries are still being
explored today.
Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
 Identify the locations of the Aztec, Mayan, and Incan empires.
 Explain how the locations, land forms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America
affected the development of Mayan, Aztec, and Incan societies, cultures, and economies.
 Illustrate the role of religion and economics in shaping each empire’s social hierarchy.
 Compare and contrast the major technological innovations and cultural contributions of the civilizations
of this period.
 Hypothesize why the Mayans and Incas abandoned their cities.
 Justify which major technological innovations and cultural contributions represent enduring legacies.
 Demonstrate the use of compromise, consensus, and community building strategies for carrying out
different tasks, assignments, and projects.
 Construct timelines of the events occurring during major eras.
 Explain how major events are related to one another in time.
 Select and use various geographic representations to compare information about people, places, regions,
and environments.
 Use maps and other documents to explain historical migration of people, expansion and disintegration of
empires, and growth of economic and political systems.
 Select and analyze information from a variety of sources to present a reasoned argument or position in a
written and/or oral format.
Evidence of Learning
Summative Assessment
Options include:
1. Students can create a travel brochure for one of the major American civilizations. Students should
include a description of religion, resources, daily life, etc.
2. Students can work in small groups to construct a realistic model of: Incan terrace farming, Incan
bridges/roads, slash-and burn agriculture, Aztec waterways, Aztec temple, Mayan waterways, etc.
Students can present a verbal commentary to the class.
3. Students can choose one important topic in the history of the Incas, Aztecs, or Mayans and
conduct a short research project on it and present their discoveries as a written paper, poster, or
PowerPoint presentation.
4. Students may work in small groups to create a museum exhibit about religion in one or more of
these American civilizations.
5. Students may work to construct a comprehensive timeline for one or more of the American
civilizations. Students should include both visuals and text to explain the timeline.
6. Students can work together in groups to construct a large poster of these American civilizations
and include both physical and political map information.
Equipment needed: History of Our World, construction paper, art supplies, poster paper, online
databases, computer lab/laptop cart, library books, textbook DVD, SMARTBoard, Microsoft PowerPoint,
Microsoft Word.
Teacher Instructional Resources: History of Our World Teacher’s Edition, grading rubric, see
technology resources below
Formative Assessments
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Primary Source Analysis (artifacts)
Map Skills
Writing a Letter
Creating an Advertisement
Construct a Collage
Speech/Story from the Perspective of….
Graphic Organizers
Section Quizzes
Outlining
Design a Book Cover
Timelines
Design an ancient artifact
Storyboard
Summative Essay
Cause & Effect Charts
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SMARTBoard Team Quiz Show
Research Paper
Role Playing
Formulating Questions
Draw Conclusions from a Map
Drawing Conclusions from a Video (Active
Listening Guides)
Illustration
PowerPoint Presentations
Venn Diagrams
Newspaper Article
Writing a Song/Poem About…
Vocabulary Term Exercises
Writing a Recommendation…
Developing a Group Discussion
Unit Test (multiple choice, short answer, essay)
Integration of Technology:
Use of the following resources: Smart Board, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, laptops, online
databases, textbook, short film clips, web quests, etc.
 Students will access primary source work to analyze and interpret information.
 Students will draw conclusions from an interactive map of pre-Columbian America.
 Students will work cooperatively with teammates to test their knowledge using the SMARTBoard
Quiz Show.
 Students will use active listening guides to analyze information from a video.
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Students will conduct an online web quest which allows students to research and explore life in the
early Americas.
Students will utilize technological resources in order to create, explain, summarize, and validate
information.
Students will conduct an interactive web quest to investigate Mayan inventions.
Students will use active listening guides to analyze video clips from both the textbook and other
websites, if available.
Technology Resources:
Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit:
www.pearsonsuccess.com
www.discoveryeducation.com
www.phschool.com
http://incas.mrdonn.org/lessonplans.html
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/lessonplans.html
http://mayas.mrdonn.org/index.html
http://aztecs.mrdonn.org/index.html
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listmayansms1.html
http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Early-Cultures-Mayans-Aztecs-andIncas/Clothing-of-Mayans-Aztecs-and-Incas.html
http://www.projectpages.org/Audenried_Projects/Aztec,_Mayan,_and_Incan_Webquest.html
http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/huntley/lmc/Maya%20Aztec%20Inca%20Web%20Quest.htm
Opportunities for Differentiation:
This unit includes a variety of activities for different types and levels of learners. Specifically, these
activities help scaffold higher-level thinking and address the needs of multiple intelligences and various
types of learners.
 Students may read The Talking Stone to learn more about the Aztec Empire. Use the questions at
the end to check for understanding.
 Students can create a table to help them organize information about the major rulers, governments,
religion, achievements, and include characteristics for each civilization. Students will paraphrase
the subsections as they read.
 Outlining key aspects of the unit will help assist learners understand main ideas, connections, and
important supporting details.
 Students may research a topic they are interested in about pre-Columbian America and present a
short, verbal report on their findings to the class.
 Students will create flash cards or a vocabulary list of words they encounter frequently as they
read, especially key vocabulary terms.
 Students may work individually or in pairs to research more about Aztec gods. Students may give
a short presentation on the Aztec god they chose.
 Utilize peer/buddy reading to complete small group/pair reading and other activities.
 Students can work in pairs or small groups to create a map that shows the major landforms, cities,
seas, etc. in the Americas.
 As students read, have them identify any unfamiliar words and write them down. Divide students
into pairs, and give each one a dictionary to use. Then have students create vocabulary flashcards
using the definition and parts of speech. Students may quiz each other on the words.
 Working in pairs or groups, have students research a prominent figure, such as Moctezuma,
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Cortés, Pizarro, etc. Students can create a poster consisting of both text notes and visuals to
display their information.
Have students research and create a timeline showing important events in pre-Columbian America
from 300 C.E. to 1550 C.E.
Students can listen to the Student Edition on Audio CD as they read along in the textbook. Check
for comprehension by pausing the CD and asking students to share their answers to the reading
checks.
Teacher Notes:
This unit is a great way to show students how a civilization adapts to its environment, even in extreme
cases, such as the Incas creating terrace farming. Make sure students understand the enormous
accomplishments of the Incas in terms of building roads, bridges, etc. Relate the size of the Incan Empire
to something they can relate to (find out how big their town is and see how many of it can fit inside the
Incan Empire).